Ranking the Rockies: No. 47, Jordan Beck

Due to a wrist injury, what he can do remains to be seen.

You’re reading the 2024 edition of Ranking the Rockies, where we take a look back at the season had by every player to play for the Rockies in 2024. The purpose of this list is to provide a snapshot of the player in context. The “Ranking” is an organizing principle that’s drawn from Baseball Reference’s WAR (rWAR). It’s not something the staff debated. We’ll begin with the player with the least amount of rWAR and end up with the player with the most.

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No. 47, Jordan Beck (-0.8 rWAR)

Jordan Beck’s call-up back in late April was the kind of marker Colorado Rockies fans were looking for. Bill Schmidt had said the team would play a lot of prospects in 2024, and Beck’s debut seemed an early indicator that would happen.

Plus, he had the surfing dinosaur shirt.

In the event that Twitter goes away, I think it’s important to preserve that shirt, so here it is:

Colorado Rockies

I suspect when Beck (No. 6 PuRP) selected that shirt for his first bus ride as a player on an MLB roster, he was just wearing it because he liked it — something fun to wear on a good day. But it stayed with me as Beck surfed through his rookie season, playing sport’s most indifferent past time. Sometimes things went well, and sometimes they didn’t. But always clear was Beck’s desire to make it work.

A hot spring training Triple-A start

Beck got everyone’s attention in spring training when he slashed .370/.433/.519; .952 OPS. A call-up seemed certain. It was just a matter of when.

Still he began the season in Triple-A Albuquerque where he slashed .319/.402/.558.

That the Rockies would be eager to see what Beck could do at elevation made sense. When Nolan Jones went on the IL with what would be a series of recurring injuries, it was Beck’s moment.

The call-up was, Beck said, “Surreal.” He continued, “Obviously you dream up but when you’re when you’re a little kid. You don’t want to take these moments for granted, and you just want to live while you’re here and take everything in.”

Getting acclimated

Initially, the Rockies gave Beck regular playing time though the transition was not seamless.

In 88 plate appearances over 22 games, he slashed .190/.198/.316 with a 21 wRC+, including two homers.

His initial defensive metrics indicated he struggled to find his place in left field. In those early 183.2 innings, Beck had -2 DRS and -1 OAA.

Still, the Rockies were encouraged by Beck’s performance.

“What we like — we meaning the coaches, and I think his teammates — I think there’s a there’s a self-confidence there,” said manager Bud Black.”I‘ve said this about Tovar, I think there’s self assurance and how he goes about it.”

Wiping out

As it turns out, self-assurance wasn’t enough.

On May 25, Beck suffered an injury — a left-hand fracture (fourth metacarpal) — when making a diving catch.

Initially, Beck thought he was fine, but when he got back to the dugout and tried to pick up a bat and couldn’t. That’s when he knew there was a problem. He would end up having surgery and a lengthy recovery time.

Still, he was clear that injuries would not affect his approach to the game.

“I mean, if you change the way you play, you change who you are,” Beck said. “I don’t want to do that.”

Ride the wave, indeed.

Recovery and the future

He missed almost three months before getting the okay from team doctors.

Beck first did a stint in Albuquerque to work through wrist soreness. On August 13, he took his place back with the Rockies. Prior to the injury, he slashed .190/.198/.317 (20 wRC+). When he returned, that number was .187/.282/.242 (40 wRC+), so his OBP improved at the expense of his SLG.

He finished the season with a .188/.245/.276 slashline, including three home runs.

That Beck will return to Denver is a fact. It’s just a matter of when and where he’ll fit on a roster loaded with outfielders, all waiting to catch that perfect wave.

Still, Beck has that shirt.

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